Going Green – The Rise in Veganism

The Western Diet has changed significantly over the years. While we’ve always been a nation of meat lovers, there’s been a huge rise in the number of people ditching the meat and opting for a plant-based diet. So, what’s causing this rise in veganism and what are the benefits?

What’s causing the rise in veganism?

According to the Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK stood at 540,000 in 2016. When you compare this to the 150,000 vegans in 2006, you can see just how popular a vegan diet has become. Supermarkets have caught on to the trend too, offering more vegan options than ever before.

According to experts, the rise in veganism could be down to social media, the health benefits and more awareness of animal rights.

So, what are the benefits of switching to a plant-based diet?

The benefits of a vegan diet

When done correctly, a vegan diet can have fantastic health benefits. As it contains zero animal fats, the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and numerous cancers is said to be reduced.

A vegan diet can be cheaper, healthier and much better for the environment than a meat-based diet. Even if you just switched to having one or two vegan days a week, it’s still going to deliver awesome health benefits.

There are of course contraries to the vegans being healthy argument…all those fantastic accidentally vegan products that I seem to lob in the shopping basket at any available moment. Chocolate bourbon biscuits, choc chip Hobnobs, custard creams, Co-Op custard or jam doughnuts and their fantastic fruit pies mmmmmm Not to mention the vegan junk food bars that are popping up here, there and everywhere.

But back to the healthy talk…

Growing your own fruit and veg

If you are interested in trying out a vegan diet, what better way to do it than to grow your own fruit and vegetables? The produce you find at the supermarket isn’t necessarily as healthy as it could be. Often grown with pesticides and chemical fertilisers, it often retains many of the chemicals which don’t just impact the taste but can be bad for the health too. I can totally vouch for this one. The vegetables from our allotment taste a million times better than those that we buy. They taste of the earth and actually have a flavour. Even potatoes – you can taste the soil, the various tones within the plant. It’s quite amazing. I would urge everyone to try and grow even just a few vegetables of fruits in their garden, patio or balcony. It’s such a fulfilling achievement when you collect your crops.

All you need is an ideal place to grow them, such as a polytunnel from Premier Polytunnels. You’ll find lots of tips and advice online for how to successfully grow different types of fruits and veg at home.

Veganism is definitely increasing in popularity. When you consider the health benefits, it isn’t hard to see why.

Happy to talk to anyone about veganism who may be interested at all. You can get vegan anything these days, it’s super easy xx